Experienced food service managers and recruiters worked on this list of
interview questions.
Most managers hire for skills, but fire for character. Because of the overwhelming problems associated with hiring employees
who lack required character traits, more and more food service
managers are asking
character-discerning questions when interviewing employees. Legal penalties for negligent hiring are
also propelling character-based hiring policies.

This list is quite large and growing. Browse the list or perform a word search (Ctrl+F)
on a job title or on a trait you want questions for and see what shows
up. Many hours were spent editing this list of job interview questions
and it is unfinished. Some interview questions are very clever, some are
ok and a few are inappropriate. Use with caution and wisdom.
Nevertheless, this list of employee interview questions is very useful.

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Do you enjoy talking to people regardless of your mood?
Can you give me an example?

Interview questions for: Server &
Foodservice Worker

Character quality:
Loyalty

What would you do if you knew a fellow co-worker was
stealing?

Interview questions for: Server &
Foodservice Worker

Character quality:
Self-Control

You have an irate customer at the register, how would you
handle this situation?

How do you handle a situation when things go badly?

Interview questions for: Server &
Foodservice Worker

Character quality: Team
Worker

You are stocking and there is only one other worker on
the grill. There are 3 customers in line. How would you handle
this situation?

How often do you trade shifts?

How would you handle a situation where an employee had
difficulty following closing procedures?

Interview questions for: Server &
Foodservice Worker

Character quality:
Endurance

Tell me about the last time you had to work past your
regular time and how did you handle this?

Describe the most difficult position you have held?

Interview questions for: Server &
Foodservice Worker

Character quality:
Dependability

If I call your former supervisor, how many days would
he/she say you have been absent or late in the last year?

How do you keep your promises to others?

Do you pride yourself in being dependable? Can you
tell me about it?

Interview questions for: Server &
Foodservice Worker

Character quality:
Attitude

Give me an example of how you handled a complaint from a
co-worker.

Tell me about a big negative event that happened in your
life. How did you handle this event.

Interview questions for: Server &
Foodservice Worker

Character quality:
Initiative

What do you think this position requires you to do?

You have finished your tasks and have 45 minutes left on
your shift, but your coworkers are not finished, what would you do?

If you had extra time on your shift, would you be able to
find additional work? Give me any example.

How do you organize yourself to be more efficient?

Interview questions for: Server

Character quality:
Joyfulness

How would you go about making a customer feel welcome in
our restaurant?

How would you handle multiple demanding customers?

What is the most difficult situation you have faced with a
customer and what was the outcome? How would you handle it differently?

How would you diffuse a situation with an upset customer?

How do you feel about the philosophy of the customer always
being right?

How would you define a successful server?

Position: Any

For: Various Character
Qualities

Tell me about the most recent problem you had with a
co-worker and how you responded.

Everybody misses work sometimes. What are some legitimate
reasons to miss work?

Do others like to talk with you? How do you encourage
others to talk to you?

Interview questions for: Hostess

Character quality:
Hospitality

Why have you applied for the position of hostess?

How do you put strangers at ease?

Define what hospitality is and what it means to you.

What qualities do you feel are necessary for the position
you are applying for?

Interview questions for: Dishwasher

Character quality:
Attitude

Were you a team player in your last job? Tell me
how?

If we had 100 extra guests, how would you respond?

Interview questions for: Dishwasher

Character quality:
Dependability

How many times in the last year were you late to work,
acceptable to you?

How do you feel about working an extra shift if asked?

In your last job, what situations kept you from being at
work everyday?

Why do you think dependability is important and give me
an example?

Interview questions for: Dishwasher

Character quality:
Endurance

On your last job, what were some of your accomplishments?
Choose some of the best and tell me about them.

Do you participate in any physical activities to keep you
in good physical shape?

Tell me about a time when things were not going well and
how you handled it.

Interview questions for: Dishwasher

Character quality:
Thoroughness

What are the 3 most important details about washing
dishes?

Can you give me an example of how you would accomplish
everything necessary in an unusually busy day either at home or at work?

Interview questions for: Restaurant
Manager / General Manager

Character quality: Leadership

How do you reinforce behavior you want repeated (in a
non-monetary way)?

How do you develop untapped potential in your staff?

How do you build and maintain morale with your staff in a
non-monetary way?

How do you demonstrate that you value people for who they
are rather than for what they accomplish?

What are the primary management styles?
Describe each. Which is your predominant style? How have you applied those
characteristics? What successes and shortcomings have you experienced with
your management style?

Interview questions for: Restaurant
Manager

Character quality:
Determination

Describe a challenging situation and the method you used
to meet the challenge.

Describe an assignment you were given that you knew would
be unpopular, but you completed successfully.

Interview questions for: Restaurant
Managers

Character quality:
Initiative

Describe a situation when you went above and beyond to
complete a task.

Position: Any

Character quality: Honesty

What was the last thing you found? ... Then ask, Where?,
... What did you do with it? [Does the applicant take advantage of
opportunities of the moment or do they have a heart to restore lost items
to the owner?]

While on company time, do you consider personal use of a
computer stealing from the company?

24/7 operations are like relay races where you take the
baton, run with it and then pass it on smoothly. How do you make seamless
transitions on shift changes?

Position: Any

Character quality:
Initiative

Your shift ends in 10 min. and you have accomplished all your duties, how
would you utilize your remaining time?

Give an example of a time when you did something without being asked? Can
you give me another example?

How
did you fill downtime at your last job?

Interview questions for: Food Service Manager

Character quality:
Patience

How would you respond if you are orientating a new employee and had to
show them something four times?

Interviewing questions for: Delivery Driver

Character quality:
Responsibility

■ Would your previous
employer say that you were never, sometimes, or frequently late on your
deliveries?

■ Explain your driving
record in detail.

■ What does being
responsible mean to you?

Interview questions for: Delivery Driver

Character quality:
Self-Control

■ If someone cuts you off
on the freeway how do you handle it?

■ Your customer says you
brought the wrong order and you think it is the right one. How would you
handle this?

Position: Any

Character quality:
Truthfulness

Do you speed when you drive? By how many mph? If they say,
no, they're lying. If they say, 20mph or more, they're reckless and/or in
too much of a hurry to be thorough.

Position: Any

Character quality:
Discretion

Did you ever find out that a fellow employee makes more
money than you do? How did you respond? If says no, say: You just found
out a fellow employee makes more money than you do. What would you do? Who
would you tell?

Position: Any

Character quality:
Flexibility

If needed, would you like to work another position or would
you rather not be cross-trained?

You are scheduled until 4:00; a cook calls off and a
replacement can't be in until 5:30. Do you stay? If so, how long do you
stay?

Position: Receptionist

Character quality:
Joyfulness

How would you go about making a visitor feel welcome to the
company?

How would you handle answering a phone caller's question
with five lines ringing?

What is the most difficult situation you have faced with a
customer and what was the outcome? How would you
handle it differently?

How did our receptionist greet you? Would you have done
anything differently?

How would you handle an irate customer?

How would you diffuse a situation with an upset customer?

Give an example of how you dealt with a difficult
situation/customer.

How do you feel about the philosophy of the customer always
being right?

How do you respond if you know the customer is wrong?

How would you define a successful receptionist?

What was discouraging to you in your last job?

Describe your previous employer or supervisor .

In your past jobs, which one have you enjoyed the most?
Why?

Describe an ideal receptionist in your view. How do you
measure yourself against that standard?

What did you like best about your last job?

How would you define joyfulness? How do you think it would
relate to this job?

Can you give an example of being joyful in a difficult
situation?

What irritates you the most? How do you overcome these
things?

How do you handle discouragement?

What did you enjoy the most/least about your previous
position?

Outside of work, what do you enjoy the most?

Tell me about your biggest challenge and how you responded
to it.

Position: Receptionist

Character quality:
Enthusiasm

Why have you applied for the position of receptionist?

How do you make strangers feel welcome?

Define what hospitality is and what it means to you.

What qualities do you feel are necessary for the position
you are applying for?

Describe the ideal reception area.

What two things bring you the most joy? Why?

What two things do you find most frustrating? Why?

What would your past supervisor say about you?

Outside of work, what do you enjoy doing?

Why are you seeking this position?

In the next minute, explain to me why you are the best
candidate for this job.

If you could learn to playa musical instrument, what would
it be? Why?

How would your friends describe you? In one word?

Identity a difficult situation in your life and how you
dealt with it.

What are your hobbies and outside interests? What do you
enjoy most about them?

How would your best friend describe you?

When people meet you, what would they remember about you?

What would your last supervisor say how you felt about your
job?

What community activities do you participate in? Why?

Why do you think enthusiasm is an important requirement for
being a receptionist?

Describe an enthusiastic person to me and how you display
enthusiasm in your job.

In what ways would your previous supervisor describe your
past performance and attitude?

What did you enjoy most about your last job? Enjoy least?

What is the most irritating aspect of a receptionist's job?

How would you respond to the following: Upset customer?
Upset supplier? Upset employee?

Position: Marketing
Manager

Character quality:
Diligence

How important is it to you that you get your marketing
programs released by a certain time?

How would others say you are at meeting deadlines and
completing projects?

Explain a time when you went beyond the call of duty.

Position: Dietician / Dietary Manager

Character quality: Creativity

Describe some of the more creative products you made.

Would your previous employer describe you as creative? Why
or why not?

Position: Nurses, Nurse
Aids, CNAs, LPNs

Character quality:
Dependability

■ During the last year, when your replacement hasn’t shown
up and your manager asked you to stay late, what percentage of the time
have you stayed late?

■ Everybody misses work
sometimes. What are some legitimate reasons to miss work?

■ Two hours before
you are scheduled to arrive at work, you learn weather is going to be
bad and traffic will be worse. How do you respond?

■ If your shift ends
at 3 p.m. and your replacement hasn’t arrived by 3:15 p.m., what do you
do?

■ The schedule shows 8,
however only 5 showed up. How does
that make you feel? What would you do?

■ You just discovered
it’s a snow day and your kids have no school. You are scheduled to work
3–11, how would you handle this dilemma?

■ How many scheduled
days did you miss during the last three months you worked?

■ It is your lunch
break and you see a resident fall. What do you do?

■ What would you do
if your car doesn’t start?

■
If we were to ask your previous supervisor, what would they say about your attendance and job
performance?

■ If you encountered
a resident that was characteristically upset and/or difficult what would
you do?

■ If a resident has
just expired and their family has just arrived at the facility, how would
you respond.

■ Mrs. Jones is in
the facility for a fractured hip. She constantly likes attn. by putting on
the call light pretending to be in pain. Everyone on the hall is ignoring
her. You pass by the room and hear her crying what is your response?

■ How would you
intervene with a resident who is grieving over the loss of a grandchild.

■ You are late for work. You enter the
building and notice a non-compliant resident who is drinking a soda but
appears to have a wet him/her self. How do you respond?

■ How do you react to a
sense of being overwhelmed with unfinished work ten minutes past your
shift deadline when you find a new resident in need?

www.Integrity-Training.com

Questions you can
use as a pattern for any character trait:

■ If you were me, which
character traits would you want an employee in this position to have?
If I were to ask your last employer how well do you exhibited those traits,
what would they say?

■ Some recruiters have
candidates review the list of 49 character traits and ask for a few of
the traits they feel they are strongest in and a couple of the traits
they are weakest in.

■ Describe how you
practiced _________ [a trait] and the difference it made?

■ How did a lack of
the practice of ________ [a trait] teach you the need to apply that trait?

■ Is the character trait
of _____________ [a relevant trait] important for this position? How do
you express this trait?

■ How did you express
the character quality of ________ [a trait] at your last job?

A word of caution
to employers

In my leadership
workshops about hiring employees of character, I learned some managers ask:

You worked seven days
straight. Someone calls in sick and the manager asks you to work. You
have a prior commitment with your family. How do you handle this?

Personally I would say,
“I'm a person of integrity. I try to be flexible and helpful for my employer
but keeping commitments with the most important people
in my life also is important.” Then I would turn the question onto the interviewer and
require a similar response before I accept the position. So be careful about placing inappropriate
burdens on job applicants and employees ... especially less educated
low-wage employees! Remember God is recording everything and is an
advocate for poor people.

Proverbs 22:16 He who oppresses the poor to make more for himself...,
will only come to poverty.

More Hiring
Tips

Don't hire on the spot.Let applicants
think about your questions and their answers on the way home.
Tell applicants to call you one or two days later.
Only
hire people who are interested enough in the job to take the second step
of calling back. This
helps weed out people who lied and arent real interested in the
job.

Add this page to your "Favorites" list because this list
is growing.

About Ron
Jasniow.ski
Ron Jasniow.ski
is a nationally known speaker/trainer. He specializes in speaking to
foodservice managers at in-house training workshops and at leadership
retreats around the country on how to turn ordinary people into
extraordinary employees and keep them. This leadership model consistently
produces significant results for attendees within months. Because Ron’s
presentations are so effective in addressing the current labor crisis in
the food service industry, outstanding evaluations are guaranteed.